Rotative foot exerciser



Oct. 18, 1966 s. NIQUET 3,279,462

ROTATIVE FOOT EXERC I SER Filed Feb. 4, 1964 //\1 WIN TOR Samuel /V/0U 7' BYQWWW United States Patent 3,279,462 ROTATKVE FOOT EXERCISER Samuel Niquet, 172 Bates St., New Bedford, Mass. Filed Feb. 4, 1964, Ser. No. 342,502 2 Claims. (Cl. 128-57) The present invent-ion relates to an exerciser or massaging device, more particularly adapted for exercising the feet, but which may also be used for massaging other parts of the body.

The main object of the present invention resides in the provision of an exerciser of the character described, which is adapted to exert a pinching and a stretching action on the skin and muscles of the feet or other limbs, in addition to the conventional rolling action of the rollers of the device in order to greatly stimulate the circulation and enhance .the massaging action.

Another object of the present invention resides in the provision of an exerciser of the character described, in which the degree of stretching and pinching action may be varied by suitably adjusting the device, and also by varying the manner of using the same.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of an exerciser of the character desecribed, which has been found to greatly improve the condition of defective feet.

Another object of the present invention resides in the provision of an exerciser of the character described, which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and which can be .taken apart for storing or shipping and for replacement of defective parts.

The foregoing and other important objects of the present invention will become more apparent during the following disclosure and by referring to the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the exerciser in accordance with the invention; and

FIGURE 2 is an end elevation thereof, with the shaft through about 45 relative to the position of FIGURE 1.

In the drawings, the same reference characters indicate the same elements throughout.

The device comprises a pair of spaced support members 1 supporting above ground a curved shaft 2 on which are freely mounted at least two pairs of rotatable disc- .shaped rollers 3 and 3'. Each support member v1 consists of a heavy metal rod bent into a U to provide a curved top bight portion 4, connecting straight parallel spaced leg portion 5 which are bent at 6 to provide outwardly flaring leg portions 7, also bent at 8 to form ground engaging spaced parallel extensions 9.

The shaft 2 consists of a rigid metal rod having axially aligned threaded end portions 10, adapted to extend through the space between leg portions 5 of each support member 1 and adapted to be rigidly secured to the support members 1 by means of a pair of nuts .11 and washers .12 engaging both sides of the support member and tightened against the same.

The level of shaft 2 above ground may be adjusted to the users desire by loosening nuts 1 1 and displacing the shaft 2 to any posit-ion between leg portion 5 and retightening nuts 11. Also, shaft 2 can be rotate-d with respect to supports 1 and clamped into any adjusted angular position.

Between its threaded end portions .10, the shaft 2 is longitudinally curved in a zigzag manner. More particularly, the shaft 2 forms two pairs of spaced roller receiving portions 13 and 14, making an angle of approximately 150 between each other, portions 13 and 14 of each pair being joined by curved apex portion .15.

The inner roller receiving portions 13 are joined by a curved central shaft portion 16, and portions 13 and 16 are surrounded by a coil spring 17, abutting at its ends against inner rollers 3 with the intermediary of washers 18.

Each pair of roller receiving portions 13 and 14 support a pair of inner and outer rollers 3 and 3', which are freely rotatable thereon for rotation about planes perpendicular to the respective portions .13 and .14.

The inner rollers 3 are pressed at their periphery against the periphery of the outer rollers 3 by means of coil spring 17. The outer rollers 3' are maintained against longitudinal displacement on the outer roller receiving shaft portion 14 by means of cotter pins 19 passing through the shaft and washers 20 abutting against rollers 3'.

The two pairs of roller receiving positions 13 and 14 lie in a common plane. The inclination of this plane with respect to the horizontal may be varied by rotating shaft 2 wit-h respect to supports 1. In FIGURE 1, this plane is horizontal such that the point of contact of rollers 3 and 3, indicated at 21, lies on a horizontal line passing through shaft 2.

By rotating the shaft with respect to the support member, point of contact 21 may be brought vertically above or vertically underneath the shaft 2 or at any location on either side thereof. For instance, in FIGURE 2, contact point 21 is at 45 from its lowest position.

Spring 17 offers a relatively small resistance to compression such that the two inner rollers 3 may be easily brought close together by squeezing the same with one hand, in which case said inner rollers 3 slide along inner shaft portions 13, the same being much longer than outer shaft portions 14, such that the inner rollers 3, even when displaced inwardly, will remain in the same plane of rotation.

In a practical operation, the user bares his feet and places each foot upon a pair of rollers 3, 3 transversely of the shaft 2. The feet are worked back and forth over the rollers 3, 3' to any desired extent, and simultaneously or alternately.

When the point of contact 21 is adjusted to be directly over shaft 2, the rollers exert a massaging action on the feet along two closely adjacent longitudinal zones. When the point of contact 21 lies directly below the shaft, these longitudinal massaging zones are the farthest apart.

-In these two above-noted positions, there is a minimum of pinching and stretching of the skin and muscles. However, when the point of contact 21 is on a horizontal line passing through shaft 2, the portions of the pairs of rollers engaging the feet have a maximum included angle of about 30 and, therefore, the rollers exert a maximum pinching action on the feet when the feet are rolled towards the points 21, and a maximum stretching action when the feet are rolled away from point 21.

Any desired degree of pinching and stretching action may be obtained by rotating shaft 2 with respect to supports 1 to change the angular position of the points of contact 21. Also, the feet may be caused to engage more or less between the two rollers by varying the downward pressure exerted by said feet on the rollers, in which case the inner rollers 3 move inwardly against the action of spring 17.

The resilient force exerted by the inner roller 3 on one foot can be increased, if .so desired, by working or massaging only one foot and inserting the other foot between the other pair of rollers 3 and 3' to spread them apart and thereby compress the corresponding end on the coil spring 17.

As previously mentioned, the level of shaft 2 above ground can be adjusted with respect to support 1 to suit the user.

Due to the alternate pinching and stretching action of the muscles of the feet, the massaging and exercising de- 3 vice in accordance with the invention has been found to greatly stimulate the blood circulation and to improve the condition of the feet.

In a non-limitative embodiment, the rollers have an outside diameter of about 4"; they are flat-sided with a thickness of about 1''; and they have a slightly convex peripheral face. The angle included between each pair of rollers 3 and 3 is approximately 30.

While a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention has been illustrated and described, it is understood that various modifications may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A massaging device comprising a pair of spaced support members, a shaft supported by and secured at an adjustable level to said support members and rotatable with respect to the same, means to clamp said shaft to said support members in level adjusted position and in adjusted rotated position, said shaft providing intermediate its ends two spaced pairs of mutually inclined roller receiving portions, and roller receiving portions of said pairs lying in a common plane, a disc-shaped roller mounted for free rotation on each of said roller receiving shaft portions to provide two spaced pairs of rollers, the rollers of each pair being inclined to each other and in contact in a limited zone of their periphery, abutment means on said shaft abutting the outer roller of each pair, the inner roller of said pair being freely displaceable on its roller receiving shaft portion, and a coil spring surrounding said shaft between the inner rollers of said pairs and abutting said inner rollers to urge the same into contact with the outer rollers of said pairs.

2. A massaging device comprising a pair of spaced support members, a shaft supported by and secured to said support members and rotatable with respect to the same, means to clamp said shaft to said support members in adjusted rotated position, said shaft providing intermediate its ends two spaced pairs of mutually inclined roller receiving portions, said roller receiving portions of said pairs lying in a common plane, a disc-shaped roller mounted for free rotation on each of said roller receiving shaft portions to provide two spaced pairs of rollers, the rollers of each pair being inclined to each other and in contact in a limited zone of their periphery, abutment means on said shaft abutting the outer roller of each pair, the inner roller of each pair being freely displaceable on its roller receiving shaft portion, and a coil spring surrounding said shaft between the inner rollers of said pairs and abutting said inner rollers to urge the same into contact with the outer rollers of said pairs.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 731,693 6/ 1906 Lennox 128-57 2,161,986 6/1939 Thomas 12857 2,168,842 8/1939 Kesteven et al l'2'8-57 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,205,717 8/ 1959 France.

RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

L. W. TRAPP, Assistant Examiner. 

2. A MASSAGING DEVICE COMPRISING A PAIR OF SPACED SUPPORT MEMBERS, A SHAFT SUPPORTED BY AND SECURED TO SAID SUPPORT MEMBERS AND ROTATABLE WITH RESPECT TO THE SAME, MEANS TO CLAMP SAID SHAFT TO SAID SUPPORT MEMBERS IN ADJUSTED ROTATED POSITION, SAID SHAFT PROVIDING INTERMEDIATE ITS ENDS TWO SPACED PAIRS OF MUTUALLY INCLINED ROLLER RECEIVING PORTIONS, SAID ROLLER RECEIVING PORTIONS OF SAID PAIRS LYING IN A COMMON PLANE, A DISC-SHAPED ROLLER MOUNTED FOR FREE ROTATION ON EACH OF SAID ROLLER RECEIVING SHAFT PORTIONS TO PROVIDE TWO SPACED PAIRS OF ROLLERS, THE ROLLERS OF EACH PAIR BEING INCLINED TO EACH OTHER AND IN CONTACT IN A LIMITED ZONE OF THEIR PERIPHERY, ABUTMENT MEANS ON SAID SHAFT ABUTTING THE OUTER ROLLER OF EACH PAIR, THE INNER ROLLER OF EACH PAIR BEING FREELY DISPLACEABLE ON ITS ROLLER RECEIVING SHAFT PORTION, AND A COIL SPRING SURROUNDING SAID SHAFT BETWEEN THE INNER ROLLERS OF SAID PAIRS AND ABUTTING SAID INNER ROLLERS TO URGE THE SAME INTO CONTACT WITH THE OUTER ROLLERS OF SAID PAIRS. 